††††††††
†††† ††††
†† ††
† †
† †
† THE GLASS FACTORY. †
† †
† †
†† ††
†††† ††††
††††††††
.-»*†*@### SEVERAL CENTURIES AFTER IT HAD LAST ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## BELONGED TO US, WE WENT ON AN OUTING TO ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### THE GLASS FACTORY THAT BORE OUR FAMILY ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## NAME. IT HAD CHANGED OWNERS MANY TIMES ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### SINCE OUR ANCESTORS DEATH, AND THEN ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## STOOD ABANDONED FOR A LONG WHILE. ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### FINALLY, THE NATURAL END STATION FOR ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## THE BUILDINGS THAT SURVIVE: A MUSEUM, ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### AND A GIFT SHOP. ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### THERE'S A LONG TIME SINCE MY FAMILY ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## MADE ANYTHING. BY MANY, WE WOULD BE ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### CONSIDERED POOR. ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### THERE ARE TWO MAIN FACTORY BUILDINGS, ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## DOMED THINGS OF SEVERAL FLOORS, MADE IN ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### YELLOW BRICK. LARGE BUT NARROW WINDOWS, ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## REMINESCENT OF SOME CATHEDRAL. ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### CUSTOM-MADE GLASS, OF COURSE, LARGE AND ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## LEADED, AND ASHEN. A BIT TOO DARK TO BE ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### PRACTICAL. ON THE EASTERN BUILDING, ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## SOME ARE SHATTERED. ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## THE OTHER ONE IS PUBLICLY OPEN. THERE'S ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### A MUSEUM, WITH WAX FIGURES OF MY GREAT ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER, OR SOMETHING. ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### VARIOUS TOOLS (OR REPLICAS) LAID OUT ON ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## TABLES, WITH EXPLAINING TEXTS. A LOT OF ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### GLASS OF VARYING THICKNESS. ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### †† ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## †† †† ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### »»»»»»» † † »»»»»»» ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## †† †† ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### †† ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### I QUICKLY SNEAK OUT, AND CLIMB INTO THE ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## OTHER BUILDING. THE CONTRAST IS ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### OVERWHELMING. IT MUST HAVE STOOD ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## DERELICT FOR A LONG TIME, WINDOWS ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### BROKEN, METALLIC TRASH AND POOLS OF ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## DARK GLASS ALL OVER THE FLOOR. NO ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### ELECTRIC LIGHTS, BUT I CAN SEE BY THE ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## LIGHT THAT SHINES IN WHEREVER THE DARK ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### WINDOWS ARE MISSING A PANE. ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### HOWEVER, THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE IS THE ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## HIGHER FLOORS: THIS BUILDING HAS NONE. ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### IT IS ONE MASSIVE HALL, STRETCHING AWAY ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## INFINITELY ABOVE ME. SOMEWHERE UP THERE ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### IS SOME GREAT IRON LATTICEWORK, FROM ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## WHERE CHAINS ARE SUSPENDED, AND PARTS ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### OF MACHINERY HAS BEEN FALLING DOWN. ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### THERE IS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## HALL, A THIN SPIRAL STAIRCASE THAT ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### LEADS UP THERE. I SNEAK OVER THERE, AND ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## TAKE A FEW RELUCTANT STEPS. AFTER JUST ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### A REVOLUTION, I NOTICE THAT FOR EACH ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## STEP THE BUILDING STARTS TO GLOW, THE ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### BRICKS TURNING A DARK RED, AND THEN ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## ORANGE, ALL THE PILED UP DEBREE BEING ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### LIT FROM BEHIND. ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### I STOP READY TO RUN DOWN AND OUT, BUT ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE ON THE STAIRCASE ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### WITH ME NOW, PRESSED CLOSE. HE'S ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## LOOKING LIKE ME, SHORT HAIR AND THIN ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### ARMS, BUT WITH EARS FROM SOME ANIMAL, ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## AND MORE DISTURBINGLY, COMPLETELY MADE ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### OF DARK LIQUID GLASS. ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### †† ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## †† †† ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### »»»»»»» † † »»»»»»» ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## †† †† ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### †† ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### MY FEAR HOLDS ME IN PLACE WHILE HE ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## STARTS OPERATING LEVERS AND DIALS SET ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### IN THE CENTER OF THE STAIRCASE. SLOWLY, ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## IT STARTS SPINNING, CIRCLING UPWARDS. ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### IT'S AN ELEVATOR! I START TO RUN ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## DOWNWARDS, BUT NOW THE LIQUID BOY ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### CREATURE GRABS HOLD OF ME. I TRY TO ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## SHAKE HIM OFF, BUT HE'S TOO STRONG, AND ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### PULLS ME BACK UP BESIDE HIM. ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### THIS TIME, I TURN ANGRY INSTEAD. WHAT ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## THE HELL? WHO IS THIS GUY, ACTING LIKE ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### THIS? I REACH OUT MY FREE ARM AND SLAM ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## A RANDOM LEVER. SOME METAL BAR IS ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### SUDDENLY RELEASED BETWEEN US, HITTING ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## HIM ON THE ARM, FORCING MY RELEASE. I ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### SHOVE HIM OFF OF ME, AND HE FALLS INTO ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## THE LEVERS, MESSING THEM UP. ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### IMMEDIATELY, A THIN RUSTY CHAINMAIL ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## CURTAIN IS DROPPED AROUND ME. BUT THE ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### ELEVATOR ALSO SPEEDS UP SIGNIFICANTLY. ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### THE WALLS ARE FLARING NOW, YELLOW, ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## WHITE, ALMOST BLUE. I CLOSE MY EYES AND ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### CURL INTO A BALL. BUT THEN, THE GLASS ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## BOY SCREAMS, A PIERCING SOUND THAT ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### FORCES MY EYES BACK OPEN. I WATCH AS HE ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## BECOMES TOO LIQUID, HIS BODY POOLING ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### DOWN IN HIS NOW MASSIVE TAIL, AND THE ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## TIP OF IT SUDDENLY BREAKS OF IN A GLASS ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### DROP THAT FALLS TOWARD THE FACTORY ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## FLOOR. ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## HE'S CRAWLING ON THE STAIRS, UNABLE TO ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### KEEP HIS BODY UPRIGHT. CAN'T REACH THE ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## LEVERS, CLAWS AT MY CHAINMAIL CAGE, ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### WHILE HIS BODY IS TURNING INTO DARK ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## PEARLS. FINALLY, HE'S LOST TOO MUCH OF ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### HIMSELF AND THE SCREAM IS CUT SHORT. ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## THE LAST OF HIM RAINS DOWN. ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## I STILL CAN'T REACH THE LEVERS FROM ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### WITHIN MY CAGE. LOOKING UP, I TRY TO ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## MAKE OUT THE CEILING, BUT IT'S ALL A ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### WHIRLING SEA OF COLOURS. BELOW ME GLOWS ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## THE HELLFIRE OF THE FACTORY WALLS, BUT ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### VERY FAINT. I SIT DOWN, CURL BACK UP, ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## BECOME STILL. ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## †† ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### †† †† ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## »»»»»»» † † »»»»»»» ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### †† †† ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## †† ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## A LARGE CLUNK SHAKES MY ENTIRE BODY, ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### AND SNAPS ME BACK INTO REALITY. I'M ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## BACK AT THE FACTORY FLOOR, BUT THE ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### STAIRS ARE STILL MOVING SLIGHTLY, ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## CLICKING IN PLACE, CARRYING ME THE LAST ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### FEW CENTIMETERS. I CAME FROM BELOW, ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## SOMEHOW. THE CHAINMAIL IS RETRACTED, ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### AND I SLOWLY DISMOUNT THE STAIRS. ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### SHAKING AND CRYING, I MAKE MY WAY OVER ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## THE FACTORY FLOOR, WADING THROUGH DARK ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### GLASS MARBLES. A QUICK GLANCE DOWN, AND ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## I SEE THERE'S SOMETHING FAINT INSIDE ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### THEM. EMBRYOS? ARE THESE EGGS? ###@*†*»-.
..-»*†*@## ##@*†*»-..
.-»*†*@### I SHUDDER, AND CLIMB BACK OUT. ###@*†*»-.
††
†† ††
† †
†† ††
††